Rapture
by BrokenDreamsandSlitWrists
Summary: What if...? Perfectly normal words, but disastrous when put together. Talia knows these words well. After all, they have plagued her mind all her life. What if this curse never existed? What if these metal gloves had never been chained to her wrists? What if Kai hadn't helped her escape the castle? What if...


Prologue

She ran, faster than any normal girl. She ran, because she couldn't stop. She ran, because there was something chasing her.

She ran from home.

No, home is a place where you feel welcome, safe, comfortable. That castle had provided none of these qualities deemed necessary for a home. It was a prison, made of iron, ivy and stone. A gorgeous prison, that held one princess who had committed no crime. The Wardens were her family, friends, servants. She had not been loved by these people since her first birthday, an event she remembered like no other, thanks to a generous gift bestowed upon her that fateful day. One of three gifts, to be exact.

There were over two-thousand guests dithering within the castle that cold winters morning, and thousands more waiting outside the gate, but no one felt a chill. Each was excited at the prospect at finally seeing the infamous princess, and there was no time for self-absorbed thoughts, such as how cold you are. Among the thousands, three witches had emerged. These witches were well-known for their magical abilities, gained through the absorbing of souls. This particular skill is possessed by all humans, but these three were the first to discover it, and the first to take from others in such a horrible manner. They were hideous creatures, inside and out, but looked upon newborns with renewed love which they neglect to feel for others. They were shunned for their looks, except for the young princess, whose screams stopped even the King and Queen from removing the women from the grand hall. And in return, the witches had gifted her with three presents. br /The first witch, the vainest of the three gave the young girl endless beauty, chuckling about how she would have liked such a present. The second, the wisest, sent her a vast knowledge, allowing her to remember everything and anything she had ever seen, heard or smelt without fault.

But before the third could wield her wand, a great plume of smoke erupted from the polished marble floor, revealing a particularly angry Mal, the notorious Warlock that often visited the King as a dear friend. Outraged by the fact he was uninvited from the celebrations, he cursed the young girl to die a painful death, should she prick her finger on a spindle on the eve of her eighteenth birthday. After which, he vanished, effectively leaving the castle in uproar. Only the third witch remained calm. Amongst the chaos, she quietly placed a counter-curse on the princess. She herself had no specialty like her sisters, but held a peculiar sense of humour. "Dear girl, I will now give you a particularly useful gift, that I myself have used much to often in my many years. I give you the gift of speed, so that you may run away from most-all problems that should befall you. And, trust me my dear, this will be your most treasured present." The three sisters then disappeared, leaving the furious castle as the princesses self-appointed godmothers.

Unfortunately for the princess, her Godmothers weren't entitled to revisit the castle. The king, half-crazed from the experience, had forbidden the use of any magic there-on out. And, to protect his young daughter, he commissioned for a pair of metal gloves, and the burning of all spindles from the land. No mere sword could break the metal casing around her hand, let alone a needle. The side-effect was it crushed her hand, leaving it immobile to grow, so she was left with undersized fingers, palm and inexplicably petite wrists. It was place she had wanted to escape for years, and after the help from her single friend - her only friend, she did.

So, she ran. She ran away, leaving almost everyone behind. She is unaware of her curse, and how her shackles help to protect her. With only her own mind to guide her, she must find her own way out of this mess she has been put in. And she must do it alone.


End file.
